A Little Help From Your Love
by Megamind-loves-Roxanne
Summary: A continuation to "Shiver, Sigh, But Never Die". Don't worry. ~*~CoSmIc DrEaMeR~*~ gave me permission to post it. I hope you all like this. Please review. And don't read this if you haven't read "Shiver, Sigh, But Never Die" and if you haven't, then I REA


A Little Help From Your Love

A Little Help From Your Love 

~In nothing but Arnold's POV~

I sat in my room, reading the latest Purdy Boys book that had just come out. It was an interesting issue and I didn't want to leave it but I had to when I heard a sudden knocking on my door.

I placed the bookmark on the page where I left off and headed over to open it. I was hoping it was Helga. Okay, maybe it was her. I had called her a few hours ago and asked her is she could come over so we could sit on the rooftop of the boarding house and look at the stars. It was something I had wanted to do with her ever since we became what more-grown-up people would call "a couple". The thought actually made my face hot.

I opened the door to find Gerald standing there. "Hey man," he said happily as he made his way past me. This wasn't good. Gerald knew about Helga but he had no idea that she was coming over and I wasn't sure how to tell him to leave without hurting his feelings. "Hey," I said simply, trying to think of something to say so he could leave.

Someone up there liked me.

"I just came by really quick to know if you have the new Purdy Boys," he wondered as he looked around the room. Before I could answer, his gaze fell on the book on the sofa where I had been reading the book. He went over to it and picked it up. "Cool. You do have it."

I wanted him to leave so I could get down to business with Helga so I said, "If you want you can borrow it." In truth, I didn't want him to but if that's what it took to get him to leave, then I'll take it. I don't want to sound mean or anything but I have some important things to discuss with Helga. Every since what happened a few weeks ago with that guy who wanted to kill me, and after hearing what Helga had said to him so he could kill her instead, I had wanted to talk to her about it. With Gerald here, I wouldn't be able to do that.

He smiled at me. "Thanks man. I'll return it to ya later." He headed for the door but stopped after he had opened it. I went to see why.

Helga was standing with her hand in mid-air. She was blushing and seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Hey Helga," Gerald said cheerfully as he winked at me. I blushed deeply.

"Hi Gerald," she answered, a little quietly. Ever since what had happened, Helga had become a nice girl with feelings. She didn't bully people around and she was nicer to everyone. People were shocked but after a while they got used to it.

Gerald slipped past her and disappeared when he rounded the corner. I looked at Helga. "Come in."

She smiled and stepped through. This was the first time she had been in my room since we became "a couple". We usually just hang around at school…although we would get funny looks from everyone. Only a handful of people knew about us: Gerald, Phoebe, Patty, and Lila, who had confessed to me that Helga had told her before the school play, all so she could get the part and kiss me. It was flattering to know, actually, just how much she loved me. And it was nice. Okay, it was fantastic, wonderful, great, spectacular, and any other word you could think of.

She sat down on my bed as the smiled never left her face. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

I went up to her and took her hand softly. "Come on. Let's go on the roof."

She followed me without protest and I guided her up the stairs and through the skylight. The stars were magnificent tonight. (Probably a cliché) They hung in the night sky like tiny diamonds stuck to a really dark blue piece of paper.

We both sat and leaned against the cool glass of the skylight and I heard her sigh. "What a beautiful night…"

I held her cold hand and rubbed it so she wouldn't be so cold. "Helga?"

"Hmm?" she looked at me.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if she really wanted to be reminded of what happened but I needed to know why she said the things she said. I remember hearing things like: "Because...He's more deserving of life then I ever could be" and the one that never left my memory: "We're both alone, we're both desperate. We both have no point in living". Why would she say those things?

She chuckled, a sound that I loved hearing from her whenever I said something amusing in order to cheer her up. "What do you want to say?" she asked with a smile.

I wasn't smiling and when she saw it, her smile disappeared as well. She took her hand back and I blinked, surprised. Maybe I was stalling too long.

She looked down at the ground and sighed heavily. "I think I know where this is going," she said sadly.

"You do?"

"Yeah." I saw a tear roll down her cheek. "You…you want to break up with me because you realized that the love you said you had was only a one-moment thing. You probably still love Lila and you want to be with her."

"No Helga!" I said softly but firmly. "I DO love you. I wanted to ask you something else."

She wasn't listening, however, and she broke into a soft sob. I took her in my arms and held her tightly. "Helga," I said soothingly. "I love you. I'll always love you. Don't think stuff that you shouldn't."

She looked up at me with a tear-strained face. "Really?"

I smiled and kissed her tears away. "Really. I love you."

She smiled and snuggled against me. I blushed. You'd think I'd be used to her affectionate gestures by now.

"So what is it you want to ask?" she muffled against my chest.

"I wanted to talk about…the things you said when you tried to persuade that crazy man to kill you."

I regretted the words immediately. Helga pushed away from me and stood up. She walked over to the edge and crossed her arms across her chest. She stayed silent.

I stood up as well and walked over to her. "Helga…"

She didn't say anything.

"Remember you said you would tell me everything?" I reminded her.

I saw her nod slowly and I turned her around. "Helga. Whatever it is, you can tell me," I relied earnestly.

That was all it took. She flew into my embrace and after the shock left, I wrapped my arms around her and waited for her to speak. "It's the truth!" she yelled out and cried harder.

I waited for her to calm down before I asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Well, actually, it was true before you knew I loved you and before you loved me back. I didn't have anything to live for. You're the only reason I'm still alive. I would have killed myself if it hadn't been for you."

I pulled her away at arm length and looked at her as the tears rolled down her face. "Helga…" I said, breathless. "Why do you say that?"

"Arnold, you don't know what it's like at my house. You haven't spent a day there. You don't understand why I was a bully for a long time."

With the moonlight hitting her face, I thought she looked like an angel. "You told me you were a bully because it was what made you special…although I didn't believe it." I paused. "But what is it like at your house?"

She hesitated and I started to think that it must have been even worse than I thought or else she would have been able to answer me right away.

She sighed. "Bob is always yelling at the TV when he watches his games. Then he decides to yell at us and he calls us names." She chuckled but it was hollow. "Then there's my mom who doesn't care where I am as long as I'm not in the way of her making a smoothie. And it gets worse than that when Olga comes home. She's all they talk about: how wonderful Olga is and how proud of her they are. I'm just…sick of it."

It couldn't really be that bad could it? "Helga, I'm sure you're probably over exaggerating."

The same hollow laugh came out. "Wanna make a bet? I'll show you what it's like and THEN you tell me if I'm over exaggerating."

I let her pull me all the way to her house that was tall and purple. She turned to me. "Just look through the window as I walk around the house, trying to get attention."

She left me there and walked through the door. I peered into the window and saw that Mr. Pataki was sitting on the couch listening to Olga play the violin. Mrs. Pataki was standing near her.

Then I saw Helga enter. She walked over to her dad. "Dad, do you want to see something I made?"

He didn't even turn to look at her. He was too mesmerized by Olga's playing. "In a minute Olga."

My eyes bulged. How could he say Olga to Helga when clearly Olga is standing right in front of him? Was this man blind? I continued to watch as I saw Helga get angry. "I'm HELGA dad! When will you ever learn my name?!"

He didn't respond and Helga gave up on him. She walked over to her mom. "Mom, will you make me something to eat?" Was it just me or did she sound like she was going to laugh at the thought?

Mrs. Pataki completely ignored her and applauded when Olga was done playing the violin. "That was wonderful honey!" They hugged.

"Makes ya proud you be a Pataki," Mr. Pataki said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Hello!" Helga tried to get their attention but no one said anything to her. It was as if she was invisible to them. She stood there for a while and finally gave up. She stomped away and slammed the front door behind her. The Pataki's were unmoving.

When Helga joined me outside, I saw that the tears were beginning to fall from her face again. "Helga," I said softly. "I'm sorry for what I said. I guess I never noticed before."

She smiled weakly. "For someone so smart, you sure are dense."

We laughed then and I walked over and took both of her hands in mine. "Well then, I guess you won't have to ask permission if I ask you to sleep over."

Her eyes bulged. She must have been shocked I'd ask her. I chuckled. "Come on. It's better than staying here."

She went up to me and kissed me, something I NEVER got tired of. It felt like I had just come home after a long day.

We held hands and walked to my house. I would keep what I said back in the nurse's office. I'll never lose her, I'll never let her go. She'll always have me and I'll always have her.

The stars smiled down on us as we walked to my house.

The End


End file.
